Borelli Disappointed, But Glad She Went To Australian Races

Awe, wonderment, disappointment and determination accompanied Tawn Borelli back to the United States after racing in the world BMX championships in Australia.

The 14-year-old bicycle racer made the trip "down under" on July 31 to take part in the International Bicycle Motocross Federation World Championships.

"The people were a lot different," she explained after returning August 9. "They were real nice. We were going through customs in Sydney and had two bike frames in boxes. We were having trouble carrying them."

An Aussie came over to help and looked inside the boxes.

"He asked if they were push bikes, and I didn't know what he meant," Tawn said. "When I figured it out, he tapped me on the arm and said, `Catch on to the slang, mate.'"

Having the chance to see koala bears and kangaroos was another wonderful experience, she said.

"I was feeding a kangaroo at a zoo, and some orientals were watching," she recalled. "I stopped feeding it, and the kangaroo put out its paws and grabbed me. I guess it wanted me to keep feeding it.

"One of the oriental guys was freaking out, so I asked him if he'd like to feed the kangaroo. His hand was shaking so much, the kangaroo just looked at him."

The sophomore at Kecoughtan High School was struck by the size of some of her competitors.

"The team from Holland was staying at the same hotel," she explained. "I went down to the lobby at 11 o'clock at night, and they were in the gym working out. They had an awesome team. They were like mountain women."

"I was disappointed after the race. But after I thought about it, I knew I was in there with them and could race with them. That has psyched me to train harder."

Tawn returned with souvenirs aplenty, including stuffed animals and boomerangs. And then there were the t-shirts, patches and stickers for which she traded.

Her biggest trade was her Woodward BMX jacket for one from a member of the Australian national team. Business and individual sponsors are being sought to help defray costs of Tawn's Australian trip and her journey to Louisville Sept. 1-3 for the Grands race.